The latter part of the text is understood by most as intimating the more aggravated punishment that persecutors would incur beyond that of other unbe- lievers6. Perhaps we may rather understand it as importing,
1. That all, who stumble at Christ, greatly en- danger their own souls —
[Many are the grounds of offence which Christ affords to proud and ungodly men. To some the sublimity, to others the simplicity, to some the strictness, and to others the grace of his Gospel, becomes a stumbling-block. Hence some pro- fessedly "deny the Lord who bought them," while others, " call him Lord, but will not do what he commands." These equally stumble at Christ himself f. And as he who falls upon a great stone, will bruise and maim his body, so does he who thus stumbles at Christ wound his own soulg. Solomon, ex- pressly speaking of Christ, attests this awful truth h — ]
2. That they who provoke him to cut them off in their impenitence, will perish certainly and without a remedy —
[Many have rejected him for a season, and found accept- ance with him at last ; but they who abide in unbelief must inevitably perish. The despised Jesus will fall upon them at the last day, and grind them to powder : the weight of rocks and mountains would not more effectually crush a potter's vessel, than he will his obstinate and unbelieving enemies1.]
Surely this is a declaration which deserves the deepest attention —
[They who oppose the truth of Christ, think that they shall retard his work; at least, they do not apprehend that they shall endanger themselves. But they " kick against the pricks V As well may persons hope to wound a rock by casting themselves down upon it, as that they shall ever pre- vail against the Church of Christ : the injury will ultimately be sustained by themselves alone. The voice of God therefore
e They suppose also that there is an allusion to the manner in which persons were stoned to death, viz. by casting them down first upon a large stone, and then throwing large stones upon them.
f 1 Pet. ii. 8.
k What pangs of conscience, and dread of death and judgment, do such persons experience !
h Prov. viii. 30, 36. I Ps. ii. 9. * Acts ix. 5.